By Conduct and Courage Part 17

"I cannot say, sir. With three vessels on my hands I had no time to examine them, but they certainly contain a number of bales of various sorts. I opened one which contained British goods."

"Then no doubt they are the pick of the cargoes they captured," the admiral said; "I will go off with you myself and ascertain. I have nothing else to do this afternoon, and it will be a matter of interest to me as well as to you. You may as well let your own gig row back and I will take mine."

Accordingly the gig was sent back to _L'Agile_ with orders for two boats to be lowered and twenty of the men to be ready to go to the two prizes.

As soon as the admiral came on board the hatchways were opened, and the men brought up a number of the bales. These were found to contain fine cloths, material for women's dresses, china, ironmongery, carpets, and other goods of British manufacture. The other vessel contained sugar, coffee, ginger, spices, and other products of the islands. "That is enough," said the admiral; "I don't think we shall be far wrong if we put down the value of those two cargoes at 10,000. The two vessels will sell for about 1000 apiece, so that the prize-money will be altogether about 12,000, and even after putting aside my portion you will all share to a handsome amount in the proceeds. That is the advantage of not belonging to a squadron. In that case your share would not be worth anything like what it will now be. By the way, since you have been absent I have received the account of the prize-money earned by the _Furious_ in the Mediterranean and by the capture of the French frigates. It amounts in all to 35,000.

Of course as a midshipman your share will not be very large; probably, indeed, it will not exceed 250, so, you see, pirate-hunting in the West Indies, in command even of a small craft, pays enormously better than being a midshipman on board a frigate."

"It does indeed, sir, though 250 would be a fortune to a midshipman."

"Well, if our calculations as to the value of the cargoes and ships are correct, you will get more than ten times that amount now. And as there are only the flag and one other officer to share with you, the men's portion will be something like 100 apiece. A few more captures like this," and he laughed, "and you will become a rich man."

He then rowed away to his own ship, and Will returned to _L'Agile_ and gladdened the hearts of Harman and the crew with the news of the value of their captures. _L'Agile_ remained another week in harbour, during which time all signs of the recent conflict were removed, and he received a draft of men sufficient to bring his crew up to its former level. Then she again set sail.

They had cruised for about a fortnight when one morning, just as Will was getting up, Dimchurch ran down and reported that they had sighted two sails suspiciously near each other. "One," he said, "looks to me a full-rigged ship, and the other a large schooner."

"I will have a look at them," Will said, and, putting on his clothes, he ran on deck.

"Yes, it certainly looks suspicious," he said, when he had examined them through his telescope; "we will head towards them."

"She looks to me a very large schooner, sir," said Dimchurch.

"Yes, she is larger than these pirates generally are, but there is very little doubt as to her character. How far are they off, do you think?"

"Ten miles, sir, I should say; but we have got the land-breeze while they are becalmed. By the look of the water I should say we should carry the wind with us until we are pretty close to them."

Every sail the cutter could carry was hoisted, and she approached the two vessels rapidly. They were some four miles from them when the sails of the schooner filled and she began to move through the water.

"It will be a long chase now," Will said; "but the cutter has light wings, so we have a good chance of overhauling her."

"The sails of the ship are all anyhow, sir," Harman said.

"So they are, Mr. Harman; foul play has been going on there, I have not the least doubt. The fact that the crew are not making any effort to haul in her sheets and come to meet us is in itself a proof of it. I think it is our duty to board her and see what has taken place. Even if we allow the schooner to escape we shall light upon her again some day, I have no doubt."

"She is very low in the water," he said, after examining the merchantman carefully through his telescope, "and either her cargo is of no value to the pirates, and they have allowed it to remain in her, or they have scuttled her."

"I am afraid it is that, sir," Dimchurch said, "for she is certainly lower in the water than when I first saw her."

"You are right, Dimchurch, the scoundrels have scuttled her. Please G.o.d we shall get to her before she founders! Oh for a stronger wind! Do you think we could row there quicker than we sail?"

"No, sir. The gig might go as fast as the cutter, but the other boat would not be able to keep pace with her."

"Well, make all preparations for lowering. Heaven only knows what tragedy may have taken place there."

After all had been got ready, every eye on board the cutter was fixed on the vessel. There was no doubt now that she was getting deeper in the water every minute. When they got within a quarter of a mile of the ship she was so low that it was evident she could not float many minutes longer.

"To the boats, men," Will cried, "row for your lives."

A moment later three boats started at full speed. The gig, in which Dimchurch and Tom were both rowing, was first to search the sinking ship.

Will leapt on board at once, and as he did so he gave an exclamation of horror, for the deck was strewn with dead bodies. Without stopping to look about him he ran aft to the companion and went down to the cabin, which was already a foot deep in water. There he found some fifteen men and women sitting securely bound on the sofas. Will drew his dirk, and running along cut their thongs.

"Up on deck for your lives," he cried, "and get into the boats alongside; she will not float three minutes."

At the farther end of the cabin a young girl was kneeling by the side of a stout old lady, who had evidently fainted.

"Come," Will said, going up to her, "it is a matter of life and death; we shall have the water coming down the companion in a minute or two."

"I can't leave her," the girl cried.

Will attempted to lift the old lady, but she was far too heavy for him.

"I cannot save her," he said, and raised a shout for Dimchurch. It was unanswered. "There," he said, "the water is coming down; she will sink in a minute. I cannot save her-indeed she is as good as dead already-but I can save you," and s.n.a.t.c.hing the girl up he ran to the foot of the companion. The water was already pouring down, but he struggled up against it, and managed to reach the deck; but before he could cross to the side the vessel gave a sudden lurch and went down. He was carried under with the suck, but by desperate efforts he gained the surface just as his breath was spent. For a moment or two he was unable to speak, but he was none the less ready to act. Looking round he saw a hen-coop floating near, and, swimming to it, he clung to it with one arm while he held the girl's head above water with the other. Then, when he had recovered his breath, he shouted "Dimchurch!" Fortunately the gig was not far away, and his hail was at once answered, and a moment later the boat was alongside the hen-coop.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE RESCUE]

"Take this young lady, Dimchurch, and lay her in the stern-sheets. She can't be dead, for she was sensible when the ship went down, and we were not under water a minute."

After the girl had been laid down, Will was helped in.

"Did we save them all?" he asked.

"Yes, sir; at least I think so. They all came running on deck and jumped straight into the boats. I was busy helping them, and did not notice that you were missing. As the last seemed to have come up, I called to the other boats to make off, for I saw that she could only float a minute longer, and as it was we had only just got clear when she went down.

Indeed we had a narrow escape of it, and the men had to row. I was standing up to look for you, and had just discovered that you were not in any of the boats, when I heard you call. It gave me a bad turn, as you may guess, sir, and glad I was when I saw you were holding on to that hen-coop."

"Now, let us try and bring this young lady round," Will said.

They turned her over first upon her face and let the water run out of her mouth. Then they laid her flat on her back with a jersey under her head, and rubbed her hands and feet and pressed gently at times on her chest.

After five minutes of this treatment the girl heaved a sigh, and shortly afterwards opened her eyes and looked round in bewilderment at the faces of the men. Then suddenly she realized where she was and remembered what had happened.

"Oh, it was dreadful!" she murmured. "Poor Miss Morrison was lost, was she not?"

"If that was the name of the lady you were kneeling by I regret to say that she was. It was impossible to save her; for though I tried my best I could not lift her. As you call her Miss Morrison I presume she is not a close relation."

"No, she had been my governess since I was a child, and has been a mother to me. Oh, to think that she is dead while I am saved!"

"You must remember that it might have been worse," Will said; "you certainly cannot require a governess many more years, and will find others on whom to bestow your affection. How old are you?"

"I am fourteen," the girl said.

"Well, here is my ship, and we will all do our best to make you comfortable."

"Your ship!" the girl said in surprise; "do you mean to say that you are in command of her? You do not look more than a boy."

"I am not much more than a boy," he said with a smile, "but for all that I am the commander of this vessel, and this young gentleman is my second in command."

CHAPTER VIII